Called as witnesses in hearings on a complaint alleging Tarzia improperly sought to influence the discipline of a city employee, Tarzia and Pavia offered conflicting testimony before the Board of Ethics at the Government Center Monday. The hearings are in response to a complaint filed by city Human Resources Generalist Tania Barnes in April.

Speaking under oath, Pavia made statements supporting the account of City Director of Operations Ernie Orgera, who testified earlier this month he informed the mayor after Tarzia allegedly approached him, seeking reduction of a five-day suspension for city equipment operator Tony Vaccaro.

"He told me that he was asked by Mr. Tarzia to make contact with Tania Barnes to intervene in a disciplinary action," Pavia said.

Asked what Orgera said Tarzia wanted him to do, the mayor responded, "To talk to Tania Barnes about reducing the suspension."

Taking the stand less than two hours later, Tarzia denied he made such a request.

"I never asked Mr. Orgera to intervene," Tarzia said.

When pressed by Barnes' lawyer, David Golub, whether the mayor was lying during his testimony, Tarzia responded, "I would say yes."

Similarly pressed, Tarzia asserted Assistant Director of Human Resources Robert Murray also lied in testimony before the board Monday.

Murray testified shortly before Tarzia took the stand, saying Barnes informed him Orgera and another city official, Parks Superintendent Mickey Docimo, had asked her to reduce Vaccaro's suspension on Tarzia's behalf.

"She approached me and indicated that Mr. Orgera and Mr. Docimo had spoken to her conveying to her that Mr. Tarzia had spoken to them in the hope that the discipline could be reduced," Murray said.

Golub said after the hearing the testimony speaks for itself.

"The panel and the people of the city of Stamford can decide who is telling the truth," Golub said.

Tarzia declined to comment further on his testimony.

In addition to backing Orgera's statement that he informed the mayor of his conversation with Tarzia, Pavia made a new revelation Monday, stating City Director of Legal Affairs Michael Larobina was present when Orgera approached him regarding the conversation. During testimony Jan. 24, Orgera did not state whether anyone else was present when he spoke to the mayor.

Golub made clear the mayor chose to testify before the board rather than submit an affidavit. He was the third witness to testify in the case, which began hearings in October.

In his testimony, Tarzia acknowledged he may have used the expression "you threw me under the bus" in a conversation with Orgera after he first became aware of the Barnes complaint last spring. However, his account differed greatly from that given by Orgera, who testified last month Tarzia made a threatening phone call to him after Barnes' allegations reached the Ethics Board.

Orgera told the ethics panel Tarzia was angry because Orgera told Barnes he made the Vaccaro request on Tarzia's behalf. Orgera testified Tarzia told him "if he goes down for this, I'm going to go down with him."

Tarzia denied the threat, saying the conversation was not a phone call, but a brief discussion "in passing," most likely at the Government Center. He said he probably told Orgera he threw him under the bus because he saw his name in the Barnes complaint.

"I might have said you threw me under the bus," Tarzia said. "It's the kind of expression I think I would say. And it's something that probably means different things to different people."

The ethics board hearing panel chose to continue the case Monday despite an effort by Tarzia's lawyer, Joe Sargent, to stay the proceedings. Sargent filed a motion Sunday arguing the board should put the hearings on hold because evidence and testimony in the case "will undermine an ongoing criminal investigation into municipal corruption in the Operations Department."

The motion referred to an ongoing audit authorized by the Board of Finance into alleged thefts of scrap metal from the city. According to the motion, preliminary results of the audit performed by Kroll Associates have indicated "widespread corruption" in the Office of Operations. The motion further states the matter has "now been referred to criminal authorities" at the auditor's suggestion.

Ethics Board Chairman Dan Young, a member of the hearing panel, said the board would decide whether testimony has an impact on such investigations as it proceeds.

Tarzia is currently fighting two ethics complaints alleging he attempted to influence the discipline of city employees. In a separate complaint, City Fleet Manager Mike Scacco alleged Tarzia subjected him to a "campaign of harassment and retaliation" after he attempted to discipline city equipment mechanic James Fasoli, whom Scacco claimed is Tarzia's friend and political ally.

In a lawsuit filed against the complainants, the city, the Board of Ethics, Orgera and Docimo in October, Tarzia said the claims were fabricated in an attempt to cover up his investigations into corruption and waste in city government.

Staff Writer Magdalene Perez can be reached at magdalene.perez@scni.com or 203-964-2240.